Summer Camp Injuries and When to File a Personal Injury Claim

Summer camp is the highlight of many children’s summers across Texas. The American Camp Association estimates that over 26 million children and adults participate in summer camps every year across the nation.

When you send your child to summer camp, you are trusting the staff to keep them healthy and safe in your stead. While most staff are respectable and prioritize safety, accidents still happen.

If you’re sending your child to summer camp this year, it’s important to learn about common injuries your child may face and when you should consider filing a lawsuit if the worst happens.

Common Summer Camp Injuries

Many camps keep kids physically active, offering sports like basketball, soccer, volleyball, and archery. These and other activities must be closely monitored to ensure that the children are kept reasonably safe from harm. However, this doesn’t always happen, and major injuries can result. The most common summer camp injuries include:

• Bus Accidents — traveling to and from camp or to off-campus activities,
• Heatstroke/Severe Sunburn — if staff are not responsible for ensuring children are properly hydrated and wearing sunscreen when appropriate,
• Concussions — during sports, rock climbing, or horseback riding activities that are not properly monitored,
• Swimming Injuries — drowning and slip-and-fall accidents are common when supervision is lacking.
• Broken Bones/Sprains — especially when sports equipment is faulty or old.

Some injuries are just the result of the nature of the activity. However, if negligence is involved, you may have grounds for a lawsuit.

Waivers and Liability

If you’ve ever sent your kid to summer camp before, you’ve likely signed a waiver releasing the camp from liability if your child is hurt.

Such waivers are in place because kids (and adults) can naturally be hurt when participating in sports and similar activities, even if they are properly supervised and equipment is up to date. However, these waivers are not a free pass for camps and their staff to be grossly negligent or intentionally harm your child.

Regardless of waivers signed, camps have a responsibility to:

• Perform background checks on staff members,
• Properly train staff members,
• Keep grounds clear of hazards (i.e., large pits or bodies of water with no safeguards),
• Properly supervise dangerous activities (swimming, archery, riflery, climbing, and other outdoor activities),
• Keep tents/cabins free of dangerous conditions.

To file a lawsuit for your child’s summer camp injury, you must prove:

1. The camp owed a duty of care to keep your child reasonably safe from harm,
2. The camp or its staff failed to keep your child safe or adequately care for them,
3. This breach of duty caused your child to be hurt,
4. You suffered financial damages as a result.

What Damages Can I Claim for a Summer Camp Injury?

You can only file a personal injury claim if you suffered financial losses as a result of the injury, though emotional impact is calculated in the claim. Damages you can claim in a personal injury lawsuit include:

• Medical Bills,
• ER Treatment Costs,
• Surgeries,
• Ongoing Medical Care,
• Pain and Suffering,
• Trauma/PTSD,
• and Wrongful Death.

If your child was seriously hurt at a summer camp but you’re not sure if negligence was involved, you can talk to a Carabin Shaw attorney about your case for free.

Was Your Child Injured at a Summer Camp in Texas? Call Carabin Shaw.

The worst thing that can happen to a parent is an injury to their precious child.

If your child was hurt at summer camp, call Carabin Shaw. Our law firm has represented the parents of injured children in Texas for over 30 years. We’re a trusted name because we put our clients first.

Call the team that cares today at 800-862-1260 to schedule your free case evaluation with one of our attorneys. No fees, no obligations, just stellar legal advice. We look forward to serving you.

Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.

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¹ACA Camps Enrollment Data